Wildey's lineup for June set

Steve Horrell • shorrell@edwpub.net

Published
9:37 am CDT, Thursday, May 31, 2018

EDWARDSVILLE – Al Stewart kicks off the June concerts at the Wildey Theatre. Stewart and his backing band, The Empty Pockets, will recreate the entire "Year of the Cat" album during their June 7 concert.

The album was released in 1976 and includes his other hit from that year. "On the Border."

Wildey Theatre Director Al Canal calls the Empty Pockets "a really talented band in their own right" that performed at the Wildey in December.

Stewart's 2015 performance of the "Year of the Cat" album at the Royal Albert Hall in London sold out in two days.

John Mayall, "The Godfather of British Blues," is coming to the Wildey on June 14. Mayall founded the band "John Mayall and the Blues Breakers" in the 1960s.

"John is 84 years old and still rocking," Canal says. "Literally in two weeks he's doing like 10 shows. He still loves what he does. People like Eric Clapton say John was a direct influence on them."

The performance is sold out.

"An Evening with Gaelic Storm" follows on June 15. The band has gained national recognition playing and singing Irish Celtic music, Canal says.

Dueling Pianos is coming to the Wildey Theatre again on June 22.

"Pretty much every Dueling Pianos we've booked has sold out. That's why we keep adding them," Canal said. "And for $11, it's a very affordable night of entertainment. We get a little different crowd than you get at the piano bars. There it gets kind of loud, with a lot of people talking. Here it's definitely more of a theatre show, with a lot of people singing along. We get a lot of people who went to Dueling Piano bars when they were younger, and now piano bars are not their cup of tea anymore. We get people who bring their kids, which is fine. It's just a very different atmosphere."

Glen Carbon resident Michael Sonderegger is one of the players scheduled for the June 22 performance, which starts at 7:30 p.m. He has played The Big, Bang, Howl at the Moon, and other well-known Dueling Piano bars. Sonderegger has also played with Canadian blues artist Anthony Gomes as well as locally with the Well Hungarians.

The June concerts at the Wildey conclude on June 28 with a multi-media concert by former Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Roth is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his founding of Electric Sun, the band he formed after leaving the Scorpions. The June 28 performance will feature a full set of Electric Sun followed by a full set of Scorpions.

Canal said Roth will be performing a three-hour concert.

"I have so many people who were so excited when they heard he was coming," Canal said. "I've been told he is one of the best guitarists out there. He puts on a clinic on playing the guitar. There are some pretty well known guitarists in the area who sent me notes saying they had bought tickets."